££&:====^.                                          .^====:&££
##@£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£@##
###£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£###
###£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£###
#£$$$$:=^.                                          .^=:$$$$£#
#££&$===^.               WINDS ESKER                .^===$&££#
@##£&$:=^. ======================================== .^=:$&£##@
@@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@@
##@#£$:=^. THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS .^=:$£#@##
#&&$$===^. I COULDN'T GO  TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH .^===$$&&#
@@#£&$:=^. DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS, OR  POINTED  OUT .^=:$&£#@@
££$:^^^... ON MAPS,  I  COULD NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN ...^^^:$££
##££&$:=^. ALONE.  I WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE .^=:$&££##
#££&$$:=^. FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD SURELY .^=:$$&££#
@#£$:===^. TAKE ME THERE,  BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING .^===:$£#@
£&$:::^^^.              KEPT ME AWAY.               .^^^:::$&£
@@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@@
#&$$$::=^. WHEN I  FINALLY  GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME .^=::$$$&#
###£&$:=^.     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     .^=:$&£###
#@#£&$:=^. ASSUME,  THE  PLACE   WAS   SURREAL.  AN .^=:$&£#@#
£&&&:^^... ESKER, LIKE  A  NEEDLE-THIN RIFT  OUT IN ...^^:&&&£
#£$=...... THE   LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND ......=$£#
@#££&$:=^. ADORNED  IN BIRCH,  WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND .^=:$&££#@
#££&$=....               BLUEBERRIES.               ....=$&££#
@##£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£##@
#@#£&$:=^. WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO .^=:$&£#@#
££&$=^.... NOTICE THE  VIEW TO  EITHER  SIDE. THERE ....^=$&££
£$:^...... SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ......^:$£
#&&$$$:=^. DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM.  FIRST OFF, THEY .^=:$$$&&#
@£$=^..... WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE,  AS THE LAKE SHOULD .....^=$£@
###£&$:=^. STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED METERS  MORE  ON .^=:$&£###
###£&$:=^. BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT I  COULD .^=:$&£###
#&:::^.... ALMOST REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH  THEM.  AND ....^:::&#
##@#£&$:=^ THEN, WHEN I  REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ^=:$&£#@##
£&$:::=^^.           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           .^^=:::$&£
##&$=^^^..                                          ..^^^=$&##
@£&&$$:=^. THEY WERE OF  THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT  THIS .^=:$$&&£@
#£&:::==^.       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      .^==:::&£#
@@#£&$:=^. BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR  OF LUNGS  CARVED .^=:$&£#@@
#@#£&$:=^. INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO  LESS THAN .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   .^=:$&£#@#
£$=.......      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      .......=$£
#£&::^....    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     ....^::&£#
#@#£&$:=^. UNDERSTOOD  THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.                   AWAY.                  .^=:$&£#@#
@#£&$::=^.                                          .^=::$&£#@
#&:^...... I  EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE   TREELINE ......^:&#
£$:^...... ABOVE.  WAS THIS WHAT  YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ......^:$£
£$$:^..... FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T .....^:$$£
@£&&$$:=^.                 REMEMBER.                .^=:$$&&£@
@£&$==....                                          ....==$&£@
#&&$$$:=^. CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE VERY  TIP OF .^=:$$$&&#
£££$$::=^. THE  ESKER,  I FOUND  THE RUINS OF  SOME .^=::$$£££
£&&:=.....    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    .....=:&&£
@££&&$:=^. MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  .^=:$&&££@
£$:^...... THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE SLABS  INSERTED ......^:$£
#@#£&$:=^. INTO  THE  SLOPE  LIKE DAMS  AGAINST THE .^=:$&£#@#
#£&&&$:=^.              GROUND ITSELF.              .^=:$&&&£#
##@#£$:=^.                                          .^=:$£#@##
£&$:::=^^. SITTING  THERE,  I COULD SEE ACROSS  THE .^^=:::$&£
#£$:==.... NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE  I ....==:$£#
@@#£&$:=^. SAT:  FROM  THE STAIRWELL OF  MY  HOUSE, .^=:$&£#@@
#@#£&$:=^. THROUGH  THE  OLD  WOODS BEHIND THE TILE .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      .^=:$&£#@#
££$===.... TWENTY THREE AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, ....===$££
###£&$:=^. THROUGH   THE  FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER  THE .^=:$&£###
#@#£&$:=^. FIELDS,  AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.                   FORK.                  .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^. AND  THEN THE  STAIRS UP  ON THE  RIDGE. .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^. THINKING  BACK,  THIS WAS  PROBABLY  IT. .^=:$&£#@#
#&$:====^. HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE,  THERE  WERE STAIRS .^====:$&#
#@#£&$:=^. MUCH LIKE  THE ONES  I CURRENTLY SAT ON, .^=:$&£#@#
@##£&$:=^. OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD YOU  UP .^=:$&£##@
###£&$:=^. ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY.  HAD .^=:$&£###
#@#£&$:=^. I INSTED  OPTED TO WALK  THE PATH AT ITS .^=:$&£#@#
#£$$$$:=^. FOOT,  I'M SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE .^=:$$$$£#
£££$=^....          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ....^=$£££
#@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^. ======================================== .^=:$&£#@#
#@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@#
##&$$=^^^. ON  THE  LAKE,   THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN .^^^=$$&##
@#£&$$:=^. BOATS. I WONDERED,  COULD THEY EVEN  SEE .^=:$$&£#@
£$$====^^. ME? IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY TURN  TO .^^====$$£
@@#£&$:=^.         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          .^=:$&£#@@
#@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@#
@@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@@
@@#£&$:=^.                                          .^=:$&£#@@
£$=.......                                          .......=$£
£$===.....                                          .....===$£